Sunday, September 26, 2010

So we decided not to get a dog. We were seriously considering the notion. We prepped the kids, got it into their heads, visited the puppy, I did research online, etc etc Just as I was getting used to the idea and ready to get it, Tyler realized (finally) what a big commitment and challenge it would be and we decided together not to get one.

We hoped the kids would forget about it and not ask again. Ya right. So when one of my cousins got a cute little bunny the day before Sammy's birthday, I decided to get one of those instead. A lot less messy, never makes a peep, only pees and poos occasionally outside of it's cage, soft and fuzzy, and I only need to change the bedding stuff once in a while.

So here is Otis.

If I didn't already have our costumes ready we would be Alice in Wonderland themes. Hopefully, we'll still have the bunny next year and we can all dress it up like that next year!

Jocelyn loves the bunny the most out of anyone.

Samuel is still afraid to hold it because it scratches a bit when it's flying through the air into your lap.Welcome to the family Otis, I hope we don't scare you away!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I can't believe my "baby" is 6 years old today! I think I am in shock. I've been a parent for 6 years! He's already 6 years old?

Samuel has grown a lot in these years. Obviously. People tend to do this.

Samuel can still be a sweetheart. He is smart. He can focus well. He is a helpful big brother, especially with Cecily. He is sensitive. He can also get angry. He loves the typical boy things like guns, fighting, etc. It worries me sometimes, as does the potty talk. But I suppose this is normal? He loves kindergarten and doesn't talk about his girlfriend Cadence as often. Although he remembers exactly what she wore on the first day of school. Oh ya, great memory too. He has a vivid imagination, loves the wii, pbskids, and watching Tyler play computer games.

Samuel has taught me a lot about being a mother. More than I ever thought I would learn by this age. Thank you Sammy boy, I love you!

For my own sentiment, I want to take a trip down memory lane.

Okay, so I am totally making a goofy face and wearing makeup for the first time in weeks, but I love how is looking at me. I don't think he does that anymore. I miss that.

First BYU football game. I think he was about 6 weeks old.

I see a lot of Cecily in this photo with expression and hair. Um, ya, I let his hair grow out way too long before I cut it the first time.

You digging Tyler's hair? Ya, he didn't want me to cut the whole time we were there. Lol. I won't let it go that long again.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Cecily is 8 months today. One more month and she'll have been living on earth as long as she was in my belly!

I love this little girl. She is the happiest person in the family. She loves us each individually and shows us everyday with her babbling, squeals, smiles, laughter and excitement.

She has an incredible toothless smile. An incredible head of hair. And incredibly beautiful eyes. They still haven't turned brown! I will settle for hazel since they are obviously not blue. I still hope for my blue genes to be passed on to perhaps a future child? Maybe? Not announcing, just sayin.

Cecily has a contagious laugh. A hearty appetite. She tries to eat my face, my glasses, my hair, anything that she can get into her petite little hands. She's a very tactile little baby.

She is not crawling yet and I am perfectly content with this! Call me a bad mother for not wanting my child to "progress" but I don't want to have to vacuum every day yet! No kidding. Samuel crawled for about a week and then walked so I'm not worried. Actually, her temperament is a lot like Samuel's was at this age, progressing at about the same pace.

Can you tell Cecily doesn't know what to do with him? When I first held him she got very concerned and even showed signs of jealousy! She's 8 months old! Just more proof she's related to me. But when my sister Rose held him and I was holding her and she got very excited, ie, twirled her hands and feet and grunted while watching him. I think she thought he was a little pet or something.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Tyler was working for the Utah Board of Pardons on this case. He'd come home a better father each day but filled me with horrific stories of the bio he had to write about this man. Stories that were worse than any movie you've seen.

Here are some highlights of what we did in June:

Playing with Jimmy and Johnny before they left for Alabama. We miss those boys! And their mommy too!

Swim lessons. 4 days a week for 2 weeks. Samuel was a fish in water. Jocelyn, on the other hand, would not get in the pool the entire first week. She eventually overcame her fear of the male teachers and got in but still wouldn't put her face in the water. Needless to say, neither of them "passed" and would have to take the beginning courses again. I don't see why Samuel did not pass but whatever! He had a blast and did learn some useful skills.

The beginning fruits of our labors. Thinning the carrots. Aren't they cute? Too bad they were a little bitter tasting still.

We suspect this is one of the baby robins that hatched from the nest in our apricot tree. It must have been kicked out it's nest by it's mother or was just an inexperienced fledgling that could not get back home. Sadly, it died overnight. I couldn't stay up and feed it all night. Another one was found dead the next day. Such is the circle of life, I suppose.

Then I sewed a lot. Here is an example. Samuel loves sharks. Here he is showing his approval.

And cooked a little. On Father's Day I made a fresh strawberry tart. I made my first pate sucre and it turned out pretty good.

Then my MIL and her best friend, Julie, came out to visit. They helped me make freezer strawberry jam. I had no idea how easy it was! We also had fun talking into the wee hours of the night.

This is a plate of a French inspired breakfast with some of the jam. When Tyler and I stayed at a B&B in the Loire Valley we had beautiful and simple breakfast such as this each morning. Complete with freshly baked croissants and baguettes coupled with seasonal fruit. Lovely!

I was feeling like Tyler and I both needed a date, as it had been a while. So we called up his sister and sent her to take the kids out so we could have a "romantic" dinner at home. I set up the yard and we cooked together. It was a lovely summer night with delicious food and decor. I made the candle votives but they to do not work so well. The wind blew them out too quickly but I still enjoyed the ambiance for a few minutes. Until the earwigs started crawling out of the roses. Dang bugs! And then Tyler was getting mad at me for "taking pictures so you can blog about it!". But I enjoyed it anyway!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

While we were in St George over Labor Day Weekend (see previous post) we were able to pick peaches at one of the Church orchards in Hurricane (pronounced Her-i-kun). They had already picked all that they needed for canning and needed the rest to be picked or they'd be wasted. So they announced in Church to come on up and pick the next day. Know what the best part was? They were FREE!!!

So Tyler, Cecily, Troy, Jana, Carson and I headed up there and we came home with 100 lbs of peaches! I canned 25 quarts of them, ate some, froze some and dried some. And had to give the rest away. Tyler got a little ambitious about picking so many.

Tyler and I had the opportunity to head down to southern Utah for the Labor Day weekend. We decided to celebrate our 8th year wedding anniversary early while Tyler had the weekend off.

BIO (ie, long and journaly version): We dropped Samuel and Jocelyn off at my parents house in Mt Pleasant (thanks again to Levi, mom and dad for watching the kiddos!) We then headed down to St. George. Tyler's brother Troy and his wife Jana live down there and they were gladly willing to watch Cecily for us while we attended the Utah Shakespeare Festival!!! Remember how I majored in Acting and Theatre Education at BYU? Ya, sometimes I forget too it's been so long since I participated. But now I get to participate as an audience member more often than on stage (sigh). Anyway, I had been once before with my Aunt and Uncle when I was younger and single and loved it! I've been wanting to go since then and take Tyler but it's so dang expensive. But after Tyler's dad gave us a commission for referring my sister to him as a Realtor, (thanks Steve!) we were able to afford to see 3 shows and to stay in my other uncles condo down there.

Some people have a hard time with Shakespeare. He's one of the people I would LOVE to meet in heaven. I don't know what I'd ask him, I just want to observe him. And yes, I think he did pen all of his plays, all by himself. I am not of the belief that it was a committee or even a female that wrote his masterpieces. I think he was a pretty special and oober talented guy like Mozart or Monet. I've heard many people say they don't understand Shakespeare and would rather not see his plays, too daunting. Well, it is like a separate language. All the "thee's" and "thou's" etc etc, it's like the scriptures sometimes. But after the first 5 minutes you really begin to settle into the rhythm of the language (especially if the acting is good enough) and you don't even notice it anymore. Fun times :) And this is also why I love Tyler so much more. Because he understands it! Better than I do, in fact. Plus he wanted to see these Shakespeare plays, which is so attractive to me. I have culturized him!

So we were able to see 3 shows. The first and the best, Merchant of Venice. Shylock was amazing. Then Much Ado About Nothing, a great romantic comedy. And then the tragic Macbeth. The cursed Macbeth. You know you're not supposed to say that word on or behind a stage? You have to call it "The Scottish play." It's bad luck if you do. Superstitious really. If you do, you have turn in a circle 3 times and say something that I can't remember. You should say, "Break a leg" instead of "good luck" also.

So anyway, our bad luck did not come from saying Macbeth on stage. Our trip started out nicely. We headed down without having to calm children down, break up fights or throw water bottles to the back. We just had Cecily to take care of. We were able to talk or think in quiet! Ahhhhh. Then we got stuck in some construction that set us back a bit in time. And right as we pulled off the freeway to drop Cecily off we got a flat tire. But Tyler was the quickest flat tire changer that I have seen and we were on the road again quickly and made it to the show (which is in Cedar City, 1 hour north) just in time.

That was the worst of the weekend though really. Other than my stupid head cold and Cecily not being the best sleeper. And having to drive b/w shows (2 hour round trip) to feed Cecily. We had a fabulous time at my uncle's condo (jetted tub and double shower heads....ahhhh) and enjoyed some time with Troy and Jana and Carson as well. Plus I scored a piece of furniture that I've been needing for a project that I haven't been able to find up north. (More on that around Christmas time when I finish it for Jocelyn. )

It was lovely and relaxing and I rarely missed our children. Of course, I did think about them but Tyler and I remarked, "notice how quiet it is? Oh, yes, it's because we are eating or driving in peace". So rejuvenating!

I would love to do this trip again sometime soon.

Here are a bunch of pics, taken after the fact bcse we never had time to take any while at the shows.

Tyler ate one of these apple tarts for dinner one night while I had a veggie pastie. Yum yum.

I love this outdoor theater. Perfectly cool in the evening. And so fun to watch shows under the stars. When I went to the original Globe Theatre in London I was a "groundling" because they were the cheapest "seats". It is where the peasants would watch the shows. See where the front row seats are, the most expensive today? That is where the groundlings would watch, except that there were no seats! They (we) had to stand the entire show! It was sort of exhausting at times. But if you really got tired you could just lean on the stage, right under the actors feet. Feel the spit when they spoke. It was that interactive back then b/w the actors and audience.

We set the timer on the camera. First take didn't work so well :)

While passing through Manti on the way to Mt P we stopped at the Temple we were married in.